Combined hinge and track roller supporting structure



Se t. 3, 1963 D. H. ROWE ETAL 3,102,583

COMBINED HINGE AND TRACK ROLLER SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Filed June 15, 1960I 55 V FIZQIZNTORSZ 54 ZJ2M w United States Patent 3,102,583 COMBINEDHINGE AND TRACK ROLLER SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Dale H. Rowe and Roy RalphJackwig, Galeshurg, IlL,

assiguors to Rowe Manufacturing Company, Galesburg, Ill., a corporationof llllinois Filed June 15, 1960, Ser. No. 36,186 7 Claims. (Cl.160-209) This invention relates generally to overhead doors andespecially to overhead doors of the articulated panel type.

In one specific aspect, the present invention relates to a combinedhinge and track roller supporting structure adapted for use withoverhead doors of the articulated panel type.

According to conventional practice, sectional overhead doors, i.e. thoseof the articulated panel type, are supported for operation in trackssituated at the sides of the door opening. Proper support is customarilyachieved by rollers which are mounted to the individual door panels andwhich are adapted to ride in the tracks. Modernly, the space between thesupport tracks and the side jambs of the doorframe tapers downwardlytoward the bottom of the doorframe so as to lead the door into snugengagement with the doorframe when the door is closed.

In the past, the supporting rollers have been mounted on a tongue or barof rectangular cross-section. This has proved to be an expensiveconstruction. Moreover, the tongue or, in some cases, the axle of theroller has been heretofore supported in spaced flanges extendinginwardly from the inner face of the door panel; and this latterarrangement has proved susceptible of accidental bending of one or moreof the flanges and concomitant jamming of the roller in the supporttrack.

Therefore, an important object of the present invention is to provide acombined hinge and track roller supporting structure which overcomes thelimitations of the prior art by supporting the roller shaft or axlealong the major portion of its length.

A more general object is to provide a new and improved combined hingeand track roller supporting structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure of the typedescribed which is adapted to cooperate with a roller mounted on a roundshaft.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a combined hinge andtrack roller supporting structure which is inexpensive to manufactureand which is rugged in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined hinge andtrack roller supporting structure adapted for use with overhead doors ofthe articulated panel type in cooperation with support tracks which aredownwardly and forwardly angulated with respect to the doorframe.

Additional objects and features of the invention pertain to theparticular structure and arrangements whereby the above objects areattained.

A structure in accord with the invention includes an upper hinge leafadapted to be secured to the inner face of an overhead door panel; alower hinge leaf adapted to be secured to the inner face of asuccessively lower overhead door panel, the lower hinge leaf includingan upper plate portion, an outwardly extending arm portion of selectedlength, a barrel bearing portion adapted to receive the shaft of a trackroller unit, an inwardly extending arm portion coextensive with theoutwardly extending arm portion and a lower plate portion; and meansswingably connecting the upper hinge leaf and the lower hinge leafwhereby to define a hinge axis aligned with 3,102,583 Patented Sept. 3,1963 2 the plane of abutment established by confronting-edge portions ofthe adjacent overhead door panels.

The invention, both to is structure and mode of operation, will bebetter understood by reference to the following disclosure and drawingforming a part thereof, where- FIG. 1 is a central cross-sectional 'viewin side elevation of an overhead door installation incorporatingcombined hinge and track roller supporting structures according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken through the section 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective View of an upper combined hinge andtrack roller supporting structure;

FIG. 4 is a side-elevational view of a combined hinge and track rollersupporting structure according to the invention and adapted for use onan intermediate door panel; and

FIG. 5 is a side-elevational view of a combined hinge and track rollersupporting structure according to the invention and adapted for use on alower door panel.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, specifically to FIG. 1, anoverhead door installation will be seen to include a framed door openingdefined by side jambs 10 and a head jamb 12. A sectional overhead doorindicated generally by the numeral '14 comprises a number ofsuccessively adjacent panels 16 mounted for operation in support tracks18, the tracks 18 being disposed at each side of the door openingrearwardly adjacent the confronting side jambs 10. The individual doorpanels 16 are swingably connected edge-to-edge for articulated operation by pairs of similar hinge and track roller supporting structures20, 22 and 24. These structures are afllxed at opposite lateral edges ofadjacent panels and are adapted to receive a track roller unit 26, unit26 comprising a round axle or shaft 28 to which a roller 30 is mounted,as is shown in FIG. 2, the roller being arranged to reside and operatein the respective track 18.

Roller support brackets 32 and 34 are secured respectively to theuppermost and lowermost door panels in order to complete the support ofthe door 14. It is to be observed that the track 18 tapers downwardlytoward the bottom of side jamb 10 and, moreover, traverses a gentle areadjacent the head jamb 12 before progressing inwardly of the dooropening. The structures 20, 22 and 24 are arranged to extend the severalrollers 30' at various distances from the inner face of the door incooperation with the tapered relationship between the door and tracks13. I

Coil springs or other biasing means, not shown, are also advantageouslyincluded in the door installation in accord with well known practice.

With reference now to FIG. 3, the hinge and track roller supportingstructure 20 will be seen to comprise an upper hinge leaf 36 fashionedwith a number of parallel, elongated, mating rib-and-groove means 38.Leaf 36 is also apertured with holes The structure 20 furthermorecomprises a lower hinge leaf 42 fabricated with a number of parallel,elongated, mating rib-and-groove means 44, being additionally aperturedwith holes 46.

Lower hinge leaf 42 is defined by an upper plate portion 48, anoutwardly extending arm portion 50, a barrel bearing portion 52, aninwardly extending arm portion 54 and a lower plate portion 56. Thebarrel bearing portion 52 is adapted to receive the round shaft or axle28 of a roller unit 26, and the arm portions 50 and 54 are arranged tobe coextensive with each other.

It will be observed that the rib-and-groove means 44 traverse theportions 48, 50, 52, 54 and 56 and that these portions are continuous innature as by being formed from a single piece of sheet metal.

The leaf 36 is connected to the leaf &2 in swingable relationship by themeans indicated generally at 53. The means 58 advantageously includehinge knuckles formed respectively from the leaf 36 and the leaf 48, thehinge knuckles receiving a pintle 60. Pint-1e 60 is arranged to define ahinge axis; and when the structure 20 is installed with the door panels16, pintle 60 desirably defines a hinge axis aligned with the plane ofabutment established by confronting edge portions of the adjacentpanels. Structure 20 may be secured to the panels 16 by .bolts passingthrough holes 40 and 46 and through aligned holes in the panels securedby nuts, as shown. Other suitable fasteners, such as rivets, may'also beused.

The hinge and track roller supporting structures 22 and 24 are comprisedsimilarly to the structure 20. Accordingly, like numerals are employedto indicate like elements in the structures 22 and 24, the suffixletters a and b being employed to distinguish those elements associatedrespectively with the structure 22 and the structure 24. Structure 22 isillustrated in FIG. 4 and structure 24 is illustrated in FIG. 5.

A comparison of the structures 29, 22 and 24 will indicate thattherespective arm portions of the several structures are selected to be ofdifferent length, the length being progressively lesser according to thenearness of the structure to the bottom of the door. This progressivevariation in the lengths of the respective arm portions of the severalhinge and track roller supporting structures is arranged to cooperatewith the degree of tapered relationship which is exhibited between thetracks 18 and the corresponding side jambs 10.

The manner in which the invention may be practiced and the purposes towhich it may be put will become evident from the foregoing descriptions.Moreover, it will become apparent that the combined hinge and trackroller supporting structure of the present invention provides supportfor the roller axle along the major portion of its length. It will alsobe recognized that the barrel bearing portion 52 may, if desired, bespecifically arranged to journal the axle of the roller whereby toperm-it the roller to be fixed to its axle.

It is to be pointed out additionally that the hinge and track rollersupporting structure of the invention can be usefully rearranged tosuperposition hinge leaf 36 over hinge leaf 42. Such reversibilitycreates latitude in the vertical situation of the axle 23 and therebyfacilitates a proper installation of the door panels 16 with respect tothe tracks 18.

Therefore, the specific examples herein shown and described should beconsidered as illustrative only. Various changes in structure may occurto those skilled in the art; and these changes are to be understood asforming a part of this invention insofar as they fall within the spiritand scope of the appended claims.

The invention'is claimed as follows:

1. A combined hinge and track roller supporting structure adapted foruse with overhead doors of the articulated panel type; and comprising afirst hinge leaf adapted to be secured to the inner face of a doorpanel, a second hinge leaf having upper and lower planar body portionsadapted to be secured to the inner face of an adjacent door panel, theadjacent end of the upper and lower planar body portions terminating inoutwardly extending arm portions reversely curved at the outer endsthereof to provide an integral barrel bearing spaced outwardly from theplanar body portions and extending across the said second hinge leaf forreceiving the shaft of a track roller unit, and means bingedlyconnecting together the first hinge leaf and the second hinge leaf todefine a hinge axis thereacross along the meeting edges of adjacent doorpanels.

2. A combined hinge and track roller supporting structure as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the outwardly extending arm portions are inface-to-face contact to provide a double thickness of leaf materialconnecting the barrel bearing to the upper and lower body portions.

3. A combined hinge and track roller supporting structure as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the barrel bearing extends entirely across the width ofthe said second hinge leaf.

4. A combined hinge and track roller supporting structure as claimed inclaim 3, wherein the hinge connection between the first hinge leaf andthe second hinge leaf is co-extensive with the said barrel bearingentirely across the width of each leaf.

5. A combined hinge and track roller supporting structure as claimed inclaim 1, wherein there are provided rib and groove means extendinglongitudinally of the outwardly extending arm portions of the secondhinge leaf.

6. A combined hinge and track roller supporting structure as claimed inclaim 5, wherein the integral rib and groove means is continuous andextends around the said barrel bearing.

7. In an overhead door installation, the combination comprisingdownwardly and forwardly angulated track means, a plurality ofsuccessive and adjacently disposed panels supported in said track means;and hinge means connecting adjacent panels for articulated operationthereof, each said hinge means including a combined hinge and trackroller supporting structure including a first hinge leafsecuned tothe'inner face of a door panel, a second hinge leaf having upper andlower planar body portions secured to the inner face of an adjacent doorpanel, the adjacent ends of the upper and lower planar body portionsterminating in outwardly extending arm portions reversely curved at theouter ends thereof to provide an integral bar-rel bearing spacedoutwardly from the planar body portions and extending across the saidsecond hinge leaf; and a roller having a shaft mounted in said bearingbarrel with the roller guided by said track means, the outwardlyextending arm portions of each said second hinge leaf being ofprogressively lesser length as the bottom of the door is approachedwhereby to lead the door into snug engagement with its surroundingframe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,124,969 Bagley et al. July 26, 1938 2,525,309 Norberg Oct. 10, 19502,863,503 Stroup Dec. 9, 1958 2,902,087 Stroup Sept. 1, 1959 2,980,182Stroup Apr. 18, 1961

1. A COMBINED HINGE AND TRACK ROLLER SUPPORTING STRUCTURE ADAPTED FORUSE WITH OVERHEAD DOORS OF THE ARTICULATED PANEL TYPE; AND COMPRISING AFIRST HINGE LEAF ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE INNER FACE OF A DOORPANEL, A SECOND HINGE LEAF HAVING UPPER AND LOWER PLANAR BODY PORTIONSADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE INNER FACE OF AN ADJACENT DOOR PANEL, THEADJACENT END OF THE UPPER AND LOWER PLANAR BODY PORTIONS TERMINATING INOUTWARDLY EXTENDING ARM PORTIONS REVERSELY CURVED AT THE OUTER ENDSTHEREOF TO PROVIDE AN INTEGRAL BARREL BEARING SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM THEPLANAR BODY PORTIONS AND EXTENDING ACROSS THE SAID SECOND HINGE LEAF FORRECEIVING THE SHAFT OF A TRACK ROLLER UNIT, AND MEANS HINGEDLYCONNECTING TOGETHER THE FIRST HINGE LEAF AND THE SECOND HINGE LEAF TODEFINE A HINGE AXIS THEREACROSS ALONG THE MEETING EDGES OF ADJACENT DOORPANELS.